Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention are generally related to an intrusion detection system and methods thereof. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a detection and/or notification system designed to reduce injuries, fatalities, and other incidents resulting from the entrance of people and/or objects into the path of transit vehicles in a transportation area, such as a track or the like.
Description of Related Art
There are worldwide occurrences of injuries, fatalities and other incidents resulting from the entrance, accidental or intentional, of people and/or objects into the path of transit vehicles at designated passenger stations. There are several reasons why these incidents occur. For example, dangers caused by trains, or the like, may be caused at least partially due to the high speed at which trains travel, the weight of trains, the inability to deviate from a track, and the great distances trains may require to stop safely, or the like. Possibilities for accidents include collisions with vehicles, people, and/or other objects at passenger loading platforms, road crossings where a road or path crosses the train track, other portions of the track where people or objects may enter, and/or the like. Accordingly, several safety measures have been put into place.
Common conventional examples of safety measures include railway signals and gates at crossings and train whistles. Train whistles are designed to warn others of the presence of a train, and trackside signals are designed to maintain the distances between trains. Unfortunately, even with these safety measures collisions with vehicles, people, animals, and/or other objects are relatively common. Indeed, each year, several thousand collisions kill or injure hundreds of people.
In addition, generally, subway or railway platforms are open towards train tracks to allow passengers to board trains. As a consequence of the open platforms, accidents of passengers falling onto train tracks or colliding with trains that are entering the platforms frequently occur. In an effort to overcome the above problems, a yellow safety line is typically marked on a platform to warn passengers of the dangers of falling on the track or coming into contact with an oncoming train. However, the yellow safety line merely functions to attract attention for safety such that passengers stand back behind the safety line, but the line itself cannot actually function to block a passenger from falling onto the train track or colliding with a train. After a passenger or an object falls onto the tracks, typically unless train personnel or other passengers notice the fall, the passenger or object may remain in the path of the train undetectable by the train operator.
In addition to the injuries and/or fatalities caused by the direct collisions, rail-related accidents have the potential to also spread beyond the immediately surrounding and/or involved trains, cars, etc., resulting in harms apart from, or in addition to, the original collision or derailment. For example, derailments may result in major chemical leaks, fires, explosions, utility line damage, debris collisions with residential or commercial buildings, or the like.
Thus, it will be appreciated that a need exists for a detection and notification system designed to reduce these injuries, fatalities and other incidents, when implemented and operated by transit personnel in conjunction with the rules and regulation of a transit system, or the like.